A day trip to the Ferguson Valley

A day trip to the Ferguson Valley

The perfect place for a short road trip from Busselton

Busselton is in an ideal location for taking easy day trips throughout the South West. One place that comes highly recommended for a day trip is the Ferguson Valley.

The Ferguson Valley is a lovely country drive, less than 40 kilometres from Busselton. It's famous for its forest community of garden gnomes, which draw crowds from around the world. It's also a part of the Geographe wine region so if you're a wine lover, you're in for a treat.

You may want to head straight to Dardanup, the main townsite of the valley, where you'll find the official visitor centre, cafes, heritage buildings, and a variety of shops. Once there, you'll probably find more things to do on your day trip to the Ferguson Valley but to help start your planning, here are some must-see/do attractions.

Whether you're exploring Australia in your RV, or detouring on the way back from a weekend in the south west, we highly recommend spending a day in the Ferguson Valley.

Photos by Jennifer Morton

Gnomesville

Maybe the most popular attraction in Ferguson Valley is the massive collection of garden gnomes at the roundabout at Wellington Mill Road. Tucked away and dotted through the bushland along the roadside is more than 3000 gnomes living peacefully on the forest floor (and some in the trees). Take the time to walk through the gnome community and read the punny signs (No Place Like Gnome, Gnome Sweet Gnome) and maybe even leave your own gnome there to live with this growing population.

Open: Everyday
Lot 4059 Wellington Mill Rd, Wellington Mill WA 6236

Ferguson Falls Wines Cafe

When day tripping through the valley, you'll need to eat lunch and you won't go wrong to have it at Ferguson Falls Wines Cafe. Winners of the Gold Plate Award 2017 for Best Pizza, this family-owned and operated winery has welcomed visitors since the mid-80s when they offered wine and cheese tastings (and still do). The cafe opened in late 2014 and has been serving up tasty gourmet pizza, Rubin sandwiches and desserts ever since. Treat yourself to the dessert pizza with ice cream – you won't be disappointed.

Open: Friday-Sunday and public holidays. Closed over Christmas and New Years.
172 Pile Rd, Ferguson WA 6236

Saint Aidan Wines

Wine lovers will delight in a stop at Saint Aidan Wines, an award-winning family winery set amongst lush countryside. The charming boutique winery offers tastings at their cellar door, where you can also buy a bottle or two to take back to Busselton. You can't miss this place; just look for the red brick church on Ferguson Road.

Closed Wednesdays.
754 Ferguson Rd, Dardanup WA 6236

Moody Cow Brewery

For the beer drinkers, there's Moody Cow Brewery. Their flight of brew samples is the perfect way to get to know their ales, lagers and cider. Take a seat on the back deck that overlooks the large lawn and relax before moving on to your next Ferguson Valley attraction.

King Jarrah Tree and the Wellington National Park

The mighty King Jarrah Tree stands tall beside a forest of disciples in the Wellington National Park. The 36-metre tall tree is said to be 300 – 500 years old, which would make him the grandaddy of this national parkland. There's a timber boardwalk for easy access to the viewing platform, which also makes a nice peaceful place to enjoy some time in nature.

King Tree Road, Wellington Forest

Taking a day trip to the Ferguson Valley from Busselton is one of those adventures that will not disappoint. It's such a gorgeous part of the South West; one not to be missed when holidaying in Busselton.

Planning your Busselton camping adventure

Here at Beachlands we have fantastic camping and caravan sites 150m from the shore of Geographe Bay. There's excellent facilities too, a spacious camp kitchen, family bathrooms (one with a heated floor) and some sites with ensuite bathrooms. There's a new playground and jumping pillow for kids, a waterplay zone and heated pool with toddler area.

Fancy a more luxurious holiday? We have onsite accommodation to suit all budgets; from small cabins to the luxurious Jacuzzi Bungalows, and everything in between. Book online or call us to run through all the options.